Smith: Wolf River walleye run signals start of spring in Wisconsin

Bob Caryl of Red Banks, Wis. nets a walleye while fishing on the Wolf River near Red Banks. The upriver migration of walleyes from the Lake WInnebago system is an annual sign of spring in the region.(Photo: Paul A. Smith)Buy Photo

And a male red-winged blackbird sat tall on a marshy point to the south, its red-and-yellow epaulettes on full display.

But not all signs of the new season wear feathers and walk on two legs.

In fact, among a substantial portion of residents in central Wisconsin, a waterborne migration is the chief signal spring has arrived.

"Walleyes are king," said Bob Caryl, 66, of Fremont. "Everybody looks forward to the run, no doubt about it."

I joined Caryl and his son-in-law Kevin Simmons, 38, of Spring Grove, Ill, on Tuesday for an outing on the Wolf.

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Streamer flies, such as these tied by Bob Caryl of Red Banks, Wis. are a productive lure for anglers targeting walleyes and white bass on the Wolf River.(Photo: Paul A. Smith)

Caryl, who with his wife Rita has owned and operated Red Banks Resort just north of Fremont for 35 years, said the walleye run was just starting.

"Good numbers of males coming through the last couple days," Caryl said. "It's time to get on the water."

When a local expert tells you the fishing is good, it's no time to tarry. I met Caryl and Simmons at 4 p.m. at Red Banks and within 25 minutes we had launched and anchored on a drop-off just upstream of a bend.

Caryl doesn't use electronics or maps — his fishing is based on experience and the spots are logged in the personal computer in his head.

The water where we anchored ranged from 4 to 8 feet deep. The sky was partly cloudy and the air was 48 degrees. A 10 to 15 mph northwest wind added a chill, but after we settled in the shelter of the island and the sun came out, it felt spring-like.

We used medium action spinning gear to fish streamer flies on three-way rigs, also known as Wolf River rigs.

The main line was tied to a three-way swivel. One end of the swivel had 12 inches of monofilament and a 1/2 ounce bell sinker tied to it, the other had 36 inches of leader material and a fly. The fly was then tipped with a lake shiner.

We also fished a lead-head jig tipped with a shiner.

The two-handed technique is a local, time-honored favorite during the spring walleye run.

"It helps to keep a rhythm," Caryl said.

One rod is lifted about every 1/2 second while the other is lowered. The process is repeated until something — hopefully a fish — interrupts it.

Five minutes after we lobbed our rigs in the water, Simmons felt resistance on a lift.

He set the hook and, after a couple minutes of working the fish against the current, the golden flanks of a 16-inch walleye appeared boatside.

The fish, a male, had engulfed the fly, a red-and-yellow streamer made by Caryl.

A few minutes later a 15-incher hit a fly at the end of my rod, too, and the pattern for the afternoon was set.

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A 16-inch male walleye hit a hand-tied fly fished on the Wolf River near Red Banks, Wis.(Photo: Paul A. Smith)

The Winnebago System, which includes lakes Winnebago, Poygan, Butte des Morts and Winneconne as well as the Wolf and Fox rivers, has one of the state's largest, naturally reproducing populations of the popular game fish.

Come late winter or early spring, most of the walleyes swim upstream to spawn in marshes that line the rivers.

Many of the marshes have been restored thanks to projects of Walleyes For Tomorrow, Shadows on the Wolf and other conservation organizations in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources.

In high-water years, walleyes have access to about 100,000 acres of spawning habitat, according to a DNR estimate.

The annual phenomenon draws thousands of anglers to the region. Some fish from shore and docks, others deploy rafts that are secured to shore and many fish from boats.

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Nancy Roth of Manawa, Wis. fishes from the dock on the Wolf River at Red Banks Resort in Red Banks, Wis. as two anglers drift downstream in a boat. The spring walleye run draws thousands of anglers to the river each year.(Photo: Paul A. Smith)

Underwater cameras placed in the rivers also record the movement of fish for all to see.

And while walleye fishing season is closed from early March to early May on most inland waters, it's open year-round on the Winnebago system. The daily bag limit is five fish with no minimum size limit.

Thanks to continued, science-based assessments by the DNR, arguably more is known about this system's walleyes than any other in the state.

The 2008, '13 and '16 classes of walleyes were the second, third and seventh largest on record in the Winnebago system, respectively.

Males typically mature for spawning at age 3, while females usually make their first spawning runs from age 4 to 6, according to the DNR.

Although the system has a good population of naturally-reproducing walleyes, some anglers would like to see a reduced daily bag limit of three. An advisory question on the issue will be presented at the April 9 meetings sponsored in each county by the DNR and Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

Caryl would prefer to see it stay at five fish. He says most anglers practice catch-and-release on female walleyes, especially during the "up run" while the fish are carrying eggs.

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A catch of walleyes, all males between 15 and 17 inches in length, is displayed on the deck of a boat on the Wolf River.(Photo: Paul A. Smith)

We continued our two-handed fishing and were treated to the type of action that brings generations of anglers back to the Wolf.

Walleyes aggressively struck our flies, typically as the rig was lowered and the bait fluttered toward the riverbed. Within 90 minutes, we each had a limit of five walleyes.

The fish ranged from 15 to 17 inches in length and were solidly built. Later, as we cleaned them, it was confirmed they all were male.

The fish were likely spawned in 2013, part of the third largest year class on record. Four-year-old walleyes in the Winnebago system average from 14 to 17 inches in length, according to DNR records.

Caryl is looking forward to the 2018 walleye run, followed by white bass in May.

"There's always fish in the river," Caryl said. "But spring is not to be missed."